Game apparatus



n N m P m A CG A d 0 M 0 W No. 592,087. Patented Oct. 19,1897.

ms Fergus cajvuarau'ma. WASHINGTON o c PATENT rrrcn.

CHARLES A. FRENCH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,087, dated October 19, 1897.

Application filed July 20, 1894. Serial No. 518,102. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. FRENCH, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompany-. ing drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production-of a novel game apparatus.

The chief constituent of the apparatus is a device intended to bring into View or indicate one of a series of characters or symbols, and in the present instance such indicator is shown in the form of a disk carrying the series of characters or symbols common to dice; but the characters or symbols may be figures or words, and yet be within the scope of my invention. The charactercarrier, adapted to be spun or rotated rapidly about a center, has connected to it a toothed wheel, with which iscombined a spring-actuated finger, said finger, when moved in one direction by an actuating device, being adapted to engage said toothed wheel, and through it position one or the other of the characters or symbols of the character-carrier to show, through a suitable sight-opening made in part of a case or cover inclosing the apparatus, the movement of the fingerto position the charactercarrier, also changing the abnormal condition of the actuating-spring, so that said spring, when the finger isreleased from the control of a holder which holds it in place after it has been moved far enough to position the character-car'rier, may act quickly to move the finger and cause it, in contact with said toothed.

wheel, to spin or rotate rapidly the charactercarrier. The character-carrier and toothed wheel, for the bestresults, are attached to a spindle, steppedat its opposite ends, so that the carriers may rotate rapidly until caught and held, which is effected by bringing the finger in engagement with the toothed wheel, there being a notch in said wheel for each character. .The character-carriers will preferably be arranged in series, and the fingers for the difierent carriers will be moved by one and the same actuator when thecharacter-carriers are to be positioned. I have combined with each disk a suitable locking device, whereby any one or more character-carriers may be kept from being rotated while other character-carriers are to be set in motion by their fingers and springs, or, in other words, when the character-carriers or disks are arranged in series they may all be spun or rotated simultaneously, or one or more of them may be rotated, leaving other character-carriers of the series at-rest, and all the moving charactercarriers or disks may be stopped simultaneously and collectively.

Figure 1 shows a game apparatus embodying my invention in one form. Fig. 2 shows the apparatus removed from the inclosing case, the uppermost pillar-plate being broken out and one of the character-carriers being in section to show the toothed wheel under it,

thedevices for operating some of the characterfcar'riers being omitted owing to their being only duplicates of those already shown. Figs. 3 and 4 show some of the parts enlarged, and Fig. 5 shows the under side of a character-carrier and the toothed wheel.

The character-carrier A, represented as a disk, is shown as provided with a series of characters or symbols such as commonly found on the faces of dice, but instead of said characters, I may use figures, words, or other symbols according to the game to be played. Each character-carrier or disk, whatever the number used, has operatively connected with it a toothed wheel D, both having a common center, shown as a spindle B, stepped in usual manner in pillar-plates Z2 b above and below the disks and suitably sustained by and constituting part of the framework shown in Fig. 2, said framework being of suitable shape to sustain the working parts, to be described, but this invention is not limited to the particular shape of the disk, or to the particular plan shown for mounting it and the toothed wheel, so that it may be rotated rapidly and freely. Each character-carrier has cooperating with it a suitable finger or flipper E, herein shown as a metallic arm, pivoted at e on a suitable bed or bar 6, connected to orforming part of the framework, said finger having connected to it a suitable actuating-spring H, which is put into abnormal position by moving the finger in a direction to cause its end next the toothed wheel D to: engage said toothed wheel and position the disk A to correctly show one of its symbols or characters through a sight-opening, as N, in a suitable inclosing case or box 0, which may be of any suitable material or shape to accommodate one or a series of character-carriers and devices to move the same, the wheel D having a notch or tooth for each character or group of carriers or symbols-as, for instance, in the present instance six notches. (See Fig. 5.)

To move the linger or flipper in opposition to spring II that it may cooperate with a toothed wheel and position a character-carrier or disk prior to spinning orrotating it, and also to stop the rotation of the disk, I employ an actuating device, herein shown as aslide K, suitably supported in the framework, and provided with a handpicce L by which to move it in the desired direction, said slide having, as shown, a pin or projection 2 to act against said finger when the slide is moved in the direction of the arrow on it in Figs. 2 and 3. The fingerhaving been moved to position the character-carrier and also put the spring II in its abnormal position, said finger must be held until it is desired to release it and let the spring II give it a quick movement, at which. time the end of the finger in engagement with the toothed wheel gives to the latter asharp blow or jerk, causing the character-carrier to be spun or rotated rapidly. The holding device G is herein shown as a spring connected to a bar G, located above the slide K, said holder havingits free end 0 turned down through a hole in said bar and below slide K, said end (0 snapping behind the farther side of the beveled outer end of the finger and holding the same in the position in which itis left by the action of the pin or projection 2, as described. (See Fig. l.) New to release the finger and let the spring II assume control of it, I have, asherein shown, provided a releasing device I, represented as alover or arm pivoted on the bar 6, and having a slot 3, which is entered bya pin or projection J on the slide K. The end of said releasing device, when the finger is in engagement with a toothed wheel to position a disk, occupies a position in the open space below the holding device, as shown in Fig. 2, and to move the holder to release the finger the bar K will be moved in a direction opposite the arrow in Figs. 2 and 3, the pin 2 at such time moving away from the finger, so as not to be in its way when the spring II is to act, and the said pin 2 being out of the way to leave play room for the finger the end of the releasing device meets the cam-s urface of the finger-holder and lifts it, so that its free end a passes away from the finger, letting the spring II turn it to spin the disk, the outer end of the lever preferably being arrested by a suitable projection on the slide K. The character-carriers so actuated quickly by the spring would run until their momentum was overcome, and should they stop of their own accord the characters would not be correctly displayed at the sight-openings N, but by or through the toothed wheel I), it performing the function of a registering device, itis possible to regulate each character at the sightopening. As soon as the character-carriers have been spun, and while they are running rapidly, the actuating device K may beagain moved in the direction of the arrow, causing only the finger or fingers which have just been actuated by the spring or springs to be moved in the direction to engage the toothed wheels or registering devices D, and position a character of the disk opposite a sight-opening, this being done simultaneously with all the disks used, so that they all come to rest posi tively and at the same instant.

The user of the game apparatus may, when the disks have been positioned, as described, render any one or more disks inoperative by or through the employment of a locking device cooperating with each character-carrier, said locking device, in this present embodiment of my invention, being shown as a lever M, having, a toe an adapted to enter a notch m in the frame and engage a notch m in the edge of the disk, but instead of the particular locking device shown I may employ any other suitable locking device to effect the positive looking out of operation of any desired disk or disks of the series, so that it may be held at rest while other disks are being spun.

This in vention is not limited in all instances to engaging the disk directly to lock it out of use, as the desired result could be effected by engaging and holding any part actually to be moved before the disk could be spun by the spring II resuming its normal condition.

This invention is not limited to the exact shape shown for the finger or flipper to engage and give a quick spin to the disks, nor to the exact shape shown for the holding device, nor to the exact shape shown for the releasing device, nor to the actuating device for moving the fingers or flippers, so long as said fingers or flippers are supported each independently of the others, so that one or more of them may be actuated to effect the spinning or rotation of the charactencarrier and leave others at rest, and on the return movement of the actuating device for the fingers, all those fingers, and only those which are released to spin a. character carrier, will be simultaneously moved to positively engage and positi on each its own cliaracter-carrier. The fingers or flippers and their connected springs constitute the movers for the cllaracter-carriers when to be spun, and they also constitute,when moved in the opposite direction, positioning devices, and when a character-carrier is to be locked out of operation, the finger or flipper retains such position with relation to the toothed wheel D as to spin a disk whenever a finger or flipper is released. I deem it important that each finger or flipper have an independent spring, for (irrespective of the necessity of its use with a locking device) the use of independent springs will allow of the different IIC carriers being given varying speeds by ingers, and position all the characters at the sight-openings. The person will then lock out of operation any one or more disks having satisfactory characters or symbols exposed at the sight-openings, and will spin the remaining number of disk'sand position themas before, lockin g out of operation such additional number of disks as may make a satisfactory showing, and then spin the disks not so locked out, and again catch and position them.

An amusing game may be played by providing the character-carriers with words and obliging the person spinning the disks to at once compose a sentence using the words exposed at the sight-openings.

Another way of using the apparatus would be for each of two or more players to choose separate disks,.and after the disks have been set in motion each player closes in the locking device ofihis disk, and the one whose disk shows the highest number to be considered having suitable sight-openings, a series of character-carriers provided with a series of characters or symbols, mechanism adapted when moved in one direction to effect the.

spinning or rotation of all or any number of said carriers simultaneously, and when moved in the opposite direction to positively stop the rotation of and position the carriers then in motion to show a character or symbol on each at said sight-openings, and means for preventing the revolution of any number of said carriers while the others are moving, substantially as described.

2. A series of disks, each having a series of numbers or symbols and working on an easily-revoluble spindle, means for preventing the rotation of any number of such disks, and mechanism arranged to revolve all disks simultaneously or any number of them less than all, and to stop all of the revolving disks simultaneously with a symbol or number of,

, each disk opposite to a predetermined reading-point, substantially as described.

3. A game apparatus containing the following instrumentalities, viz: a case having device to move said fingers o-r flippers in one direction to position the character-carriers, and independent springs to move said fingers or flippers independently of each other in the direction to spin or rotate said character-cardevice to cause the holders to release the fin-- gers or flippers in order that the cooperating springs'may act and eifect the movement of the said fingers or flippers and spin or rotate the character-carriers, substantially as described.

5. In a game apparatus, a series of character-carriers having a series of characters or symbols adapted to be displayed at a proper sight-opening, and toothed wheels cooperatin g with said carriers, combined with a series of independent pivoted fingers, one for each carrier, an independent spring for each finger and an actuating device common to all said fingers, which, when moved in one direction will move all said fingers to cause them to engage the toothed wheels and position the character-carriers, substantially as described.

6. In a game apparatus, a series of character-carriers having a series of characters or symbols adapted to bedisplayed at a proper sight-opening, and toothed Wheels cooperating with said carriers, combined with a series of independent pivoted fingers, one for each carrier; an independent spring for each finger; an actuating device common to all said fingers, which, when moved in one direction will move all said carriers to cause them to engage the toothed wheels and position the character-carriers; and a series of holding devices to lock said fingers in place to hold the character-carriers in registered position, substantially as described.

7. In a game apparatus, a series of character-carriers having a series of characters or symbols adapted to be displayed at a proper sight-opening, a locking device for each carrier and toothed wheels cooperating with said carriers, combined with 'a series of independent, pivoted, spring-controlled fingers, one

for each carrier; an actuating device common to all said fingers, which, when moved in one direction will move all said fingers to cause them to engage the toothed wheels and position the character-carriers; a series of holding devices to lock said fingers in place to hold the character-carriers in registered position; and a releasing device for each of said holding devices, substantially as described.

8. In a game apparatus, a case having a series of sight-openin gs a series of charactercarriers and attached toothed wheels; a series of spring-controlled fingers or flippers operating independently of each other through independent springs to eifect the positioning of said character-carriers to display their characters or symbols at said sight-openings, co1n bined with a series of locking devices, one for each character-carrier by which to lock 10 out of operation any one of said charactercarriers While other character-carriers are being spun or rotated, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 1 two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. FRENCH. \Vitnesses:

CHARLES N. CLARK, GEORGE A. ELDER. 

